Capsule

In
the
America
of
the
mid-1800s,
dispensaries—originally
established
in
Philadelphia,
New
York,
and
Boston—existed
to
treat
the
poor.
The
dispensaries
filled
an
increasing
need,
especially
in
cities
where
the
population
was
growing
due
to
an
influx
of
immigrants—they
offered
free
medical
treatment
and
medicines
to
anyone
unable
to
afford
other
means
of
treatment,
including
those
who
couldn’t
afford
hospital
treatment
or
were
unable
to
show
that
they
were
deserving
of
hospital
charity.In
New
Haven,
Stephen
Henry
Bronson,
M.D.,
was
the
key
mover
behind
the
New
Haven
Dispensary,
which
opened
on
December
1,
1871,
at
31
Crown
Street
in
New
Haven.
Its
purpose,
as
recorded
in
the
General
Assembly
Bill
that...